GWB Toll With a Trailer
A car towing a single-axle trailer pays $30.59 with E-ZPass at peak, not the $68.01 truck rate. The rate turns on your rear wheels, not just your axle count.
Tariff effective 4 January 2026 | Rates verified 2 October 2026 | Source: Port Authority of NY and NJ toll schedule
Same trailer, same three axles, $37.42 apart. The tariff's Class 3 line reads "vehicles with three axles or combination of vehicles totalling three axles", with a footnote limiting it to combinations "where the rear most axle of the motorized unit has dual rear wheels or super-single tires". Everything else towing a trailer lands in Class 7, described as "Class 1 or 11 (including Class 1 recreational vehicles) with trailer, minimum three single wheel axles".
Common Trailer Combinations
| Combination | Axles | PA class | E-ZPass Peak | Off-Peak | By Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car + single-axle utility trailer3 axles, PA class 7 | 3 | 7 | $30.59 | $28.59 | $44.60 |
| Car + tandem-axle utility trailer4 axles, PA class 7 | 4 | 7 | $44.39 | $42.39 | $65.90 |
| SUV + single-axle boat trailer3 axles, PA class 7 | 3 | 7 | $30.59 | $28.59 | $44.60 |
| SUV + tandem-axle boat trailer4 axles, PA class 7 | 4 | 7 | $44.39 | $42.39 | $65.90 |
| Half-ton pickup (single rear) + single-axle horse trailer3 axles, PA class 7 | 3 | 7 | $30.59 | $28.59 | $44.60 |
| Half-ton pickup (single rear) + tandem-axle horse trailer4 axles, PA class 7 | 4 | 7 | $44.39 | $42.39 | $65.90 |
| Dually pickup (dual rear) + single-axle trailer3 axles, PA class 3 | 3 | 3 | $68.01 | $65.01 | $77.01 |
| Dually pickup (dual rear) + tandem-axle trailer4 axles, PA class 4 | 4 | 4 | $90.68 | $86.68 | $102.68 |
| Dually pickup + triple-axle gooseneck5 axles, PA class 5 | 5 | 5 | $113.35 | $108.35 | $128.35 |
| Truck (3 axle, dual rear) + tandem-axle trailer5 axles, PA class 5 | 5 | 5 | $113.35 | $108.35 | $128.35 |
| Truck (3 axle, dual rear) + triple-axle trailer6 axles, PA class 6 | 6 | 6 | $136.02 | $130.02 | $154.02 |
What the Gantry Actually Measures
Two things, not one. Overhead sensors count every axle on the road, from the front axle of the tow vehicle to the rear axle of the trailer, and the classification also depends on the wheels on the rear-most axle of the motorized unit. That second test is what decides whether three axles costs you $30.59 or $68.01.
A passenger car, an SUV and a half-ton pickup all have single rear wheels, so all three sit in Class 7 when towing. A one-ton dually, a box truck and anything on super-single tires do not, so they are priced on the truck schedule by total axle count. There is no middle ground and no proration: the gap at three axles is $37.42 per crossing.
What Each Extra Axle Costs
Inside Class 7 the schedule is flat and easy to work out. The base covers three axles at $30.59 peak, and every axle beyond that adds $13.80 with E-ZPass, whether you cross at peak or off-peak, or $21.30 on Tolls by Mail.
So a car towing a tandem-axle trailer is four axles at $44.39 peak and $65.90 by mail. Going from no trailer to a single-axle trailer costs $13.80 more than the bare car rate of $16.79, which happens to be exactly one Class 7 axle.
The off-peak discount inside Class 7 is a flat $2.00 at every axle count, because the per-axle addition is the same at peak and off-peak. That is unlike the truck schedule, where the off-peak discount grows with axle count.
Truck Plus Trailer (Heavy Combinations)
Once the tow vehicle has dual rear wheels, total axles set the rate. A 3-axle truck plus a tandem-axle trailer is five axles at $113.35 E-ZPass peak; plus a triple-axle trailer it is six axles at $136.02. Standard 5-axle tractor-trailers pay the same $113.35. These combinations also qualify for the truck overnight rate, which Class 7 does not: $100.85 for five axles between 10 PM and 6 AM, Sundays to Thursdays. See full commercial schedule and the overnight window.
Upper Level Required
Any vehicle towing a trailer must use the upper level. The lower level prohibits trailers regardless of total height, enforced at the New Jersey approach via signage and ultimately by the 13ft 6in clearance bar on the lower-level entrance. The toll is identical on both levels, so the upper-level routing does not cost extra.
Saving on With-Trailer Crossings
For a single-rear-wheel tow vehicle the biggest lever is E-ZPass, not timing. A tag saves $14.01 per crossing at three axles and $21.51 at four, against $2.00 for shifting to off-peak. Note also that the Class 7 discount, like every Port Authority E-ZPass discount, applies only to New York and New Jersey accounts: an out-of-state tag towing a trailer is billed the Tolls by Mail rate of $44.60.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the GWB toll change if I am towing a trailer?
Less than most people expect, if your tow vehicle has single rear wheels. The Port Authority puts a Class 1 car or Class 11 motorcycle towing a trailer into Class 7, which starts at $30.59 E-ZPass peak for three axles: $13.80 more than the bare car rate of $16.79, not a jump to the truck schedule. A car towing a tandem-axle trailer is four axles and pays $44.39. Off-peak those become $28.59 and $42.39, and Tolls by Mail $44.60 and $65.90. Tariff effective 4 January 2026.
Is a car plus trailer charged the 3-axle truck rate of $68.01?
No, and this is the single most expensive mistake to make about towing here. The $68.01 Class 3 rate covers vehicles totalling three axles only where the rear-most axle of the motorized unit has dual rear wheels or super-single tires. A passenger car has single rear wheels, so it falls into Class 7 at $30.59 E-ZPass peak instead: $37.42 less per crossing. Hitch the same trailer to a dually pickup and $68.01 is correct, because the tow vehicle now has dual rear wheels.
Is a single-axle trailer cheaper to tow across the GWB?
Yes, by exactly one axle's worth. Behind a single-rear-wheel vehicle each axle beyond the three-axle Class 7 base adds $13.80 with E-ZPass at either peak or off-peak, and $21.30 on Tolls by Mail. So a single-axle trailer at $30.59 peak against a tandem-axle trailer at $44.39 is a $13.80 difference per crossing, or about $3,588 a year at 260 crossings.
Can I take a car-and-trailer combination on the GWB lower level?
No. Vehicles towing trailers must use the upper level regardless of total height. The lower level prohibits trailers. The toll is the same on both levels, so there is no cost penalty, but the routing is mandatory.
Does my E-ZPass handle the trailer axles automatically?
The gantry counts them. Overhead axle-detection sensors count every axle on the road as you cross, and the E-ZPass tag identifies the class of the lead vehicle. Because the rate depends on both the axle count and whether the tow vehicle has single or dual rear wheels, it is worth checking your bill the first time you tow: a misread lands you on the wrong side of a $37 gap.
Are boat trailers and horse trailers tolled the same?
Yes. The Port Authority does not distinguish trailer types. A boat trailer, horse trailer, car-hauler, utility trailer, gooseneck and fifth-wheel are all counted by axle. What the cargo is does not matter. What does matter is the axle count and the rear wheels on the vehicle pulling it.